Camera Obscura has taken another step in the direction of sounding like
an American band, specifically, a band that might be on American AM
radio in the 60's or 70's. Fans of earlier Camera Obscura albums will
find Desire Lines to be a logical progression from My Maudlin Career,
although it's really only a small step considering four years have
passed since that album. Production is a bit more polished, perhaps, but
the songs themselves come from the same general direction. And it's a
good direction.The songs themselves are mostly strong, but there are some that are weaker than others. The single Do It Again is danceable and catchy, but I don't see it as the standout song on the album. To me Cri Du Coeur nails the Camera Obscura vibe more than any other song. With a rhythm like a slowed-down version of The Blizzard, and a tasteful use of the minor fourth, this song evokes a very modern but early 60's feel. Other songs (Fifth in Line to the Throne, I Missed Your Party) also evoke an early 60's feel, partly because of the innocence of some of the lyrics ("I'm genuinely sorry that I missed your party..."). Some older Camera Obscura ground is again covered; New Year's Resolution in some ways feels like a follow-up to 2001's Happy New Year in title as well as 2009's My Maudlin Career (the song) in sound. Break It To You Gently is catchy enough that it should probably be the next single. Time will tell.
Although the songs are mostly strong, the band's performances are even stronger. Tracyanne Campbell's vocals are as beautiful as ever. I know that Neko Case sang backup on some songs, but her vocals meld so nicely with Campbell's that it's hard to hear Case at all. This is not a problem because, whereas Neko Case has a wonderful voice, Campbell's voice stands right up to it. On Desire Lines (the track) her voice has such simple purity that it makes me wonder how life can be so complex when a voice can be so simple.
Kenny McKeeve's guitar is, as is typical for him, not flashy. Instead, he finds the pocket and uses the guitar as the glue helping to hold the song together. It's only on a handful of songs that he does anything resembling a guitar solo (although thumbs up for the pedal steel on Desire Lines and the bonus track Swallows). Carey Lander's keyboards don't stand out as much as on some previous songs (Tears for Affairs comes to mind) either, although Break It To You Gently was a welcome exception. She seems to be using keyboards to color most of the songs, but she's staying inside the songs and not jumping out in front. I found myself wanting a little more from the keyboards on a lot of the songs.
Gavin Dunbar's bass has a nice, even groove on the songs, and Lee Thomson is very steady and tasteful on drums. Together they help to create a variety of rhythms from the 6/8 on Fifth in Line to the Throne (a time signature that has been explored in earlier songs such as A Sister's Social Agony) to newer rhythms such as a Caribbean-sounding beat on Every Weekday. And it would be fair to credit McKeeve's guitar work as well for helping to keep the rhythm down.
In summary, if you're not familiar with Camera Obscura's work, this is as good of an introduction to their music as any (although I would recommend Let's Get Out of This Country if you could only own one album). If you are familiar with Camera Obscura, this album won't disappoint you. You'll hear some familiar things and be treated to some new sounds as well. Because four years was a long time to wait, I really can't say it was worth the wait, but I can say that I'm glad the new album is finally out. I'm enjoying it.
Verdict: 80/100
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